Can something be shocking, yet not a surprise at the same time?
That’s generally how I felt when news broke that Detroit Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski had been “released from his contract” on Tuesday. Dombrowski was in the final year of his deal, and while the Tigers not appearing to offer an extension seemed curious, it was entirely possible that after 15 years of working together, he and team owner Mike Ilitch had the sort of relationship in which they knew they’d address such matters later.
When Tigers beat writers tweeted out that the team clubhouse was closed to the media for at least a half-hour Tuesday afternoon, that sent red lights flashing. Something was up. Putting aside the possibility that it could have been something non-baseball related, which we’ve seen happen in this sport, what was this about?
A friend texted me to tell me speculation on local sports talk radio was that Dombrowski was out as GM. What? No. Come on. In early August? Sure, Dombrowski could leave the Tigers, but not now. We know it wasn’t a trade, since it was past the July 31 deadline and waiver deals don’t happen this early in the month.
Maybe manager Brad Ausmus had been fired. That made the most sense. The growing sentiment in Tiger Town was that the second-year skipper was over his head. Yes, some of the blame for his shortcomings could be laid on Dombrowski for assembling this current roster, especially yet another terrible bullpen. If there was still some thought that this team could make a push for the playoffs, perhaps a change was made to try and wake the players up.
DETROIT, MI – JUNE 4: Brad Ausmus #7 of the Detroit Tigers watches the action from the dugout during the sixth inning of the game against the Oakland Athletics on June 4, 2015 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
Ausmus’ time as Tigers manager may be limited, but it’s not up now. That’s a discussion for the Tigers’ front office to have another day. But what we now know is that discussions of some sort regarding Dombrowski’s future with the club were taking place behind the scenes.
According to new general manager Al Avila, Ilitch called him on Saturday — right after the trade deadline — to offer him the job. It’s not a surprise that Ilitch made the offer to Avila. He’s been Dombrowski’s right-hand man in Detroit for 14 years and appeared to be being groomed for the job. That seemed especially true when the Tigers denied the Mariners permission to interview for their GM vacancy seven years ago. Avila had interviewed for openings in Arizona, Cincinnati, Baltimore and even Seattle five years earlier. Why were other teams being held off unless the plan was for Avila to eventually take over?
Why it took seven years for this succession to eventually take place is curious. Perhaps Dombrowski simply preferred to finish out his contract (which then ran through 2011). Another guess is that he felt there was unfinished business with the Tigers failing to follow through on their promise and losing in the postseason from 2011 to 2013. Maybe Ilitch convinced him to stay (with the four-year extension Dombrowski signed in 2011) until the team finally won a World Series championship.
But it’s possible Dombrowski even knew back then that he would be done after that contract expired. Fifteen years is a long time to be at any job, especially when you know — as Dombrowski surely does — he could easily score another president or GM gig elsewhere throughout MLB. Or perhaps Dombrowski figured he might be ready to retire at age 59 after nearly 40 years in baseball, even if he was still plenty young enough to run a team.
What seemed apparent, however, is that Dombrowski had eyes on staying in Detroit. Overseeing the trade deadline reboot in which David Price, Joakim Soria and Yoenis Cespedes were dealt away for a much-needed infusion of young pitching (a decision I wanted the team to make a month ago) seemed to indicate that Dombrowski was taking a longer view, looking at a bigger picture. Though he surely had Ilitch’s approval to regroup for next year, apparently GM and owner had some disagreement as to how extensive this reboot needed to be.
Dombrowski said not mutual decision Ilitch said wanted to go in different direction. Didn’t explain further, Dombrowski did not ask #Tigers
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) August 5, 2015
I was among those who believed Dombrowski told Ilitch he was ready to move on after this season, and the Tigers owner let him out of his contract early to give him an opportunity to take some time off, survey the MLB landscape and let the line of prospective employers begin forming outside his door. Imagining an amicable parting wasn’t difficult considering all the time the two had spent together. And though a World Series title hadn’t come in 15 years, everything was copacetic.
But Dombrowski telling the New York Post‘s Joel Sherman that this wasn’t a mutual decision indicates that there was some disagreement over the future direction of the franchise. Again, I’m guessing here. But as a lifelong fan of this team and Detroit sports (including Ilitch’s ownership of the NHL’s Red Wings), and having covered the Tigers as a writer in one form or another for six years, I’d like to think I’m somewhat familiar with the thinking at Comerica Park.
I don’t think Ilitch allowed Dombrowski to ever run the team quite how he imagined. I believe that had it been entirely up to Dombrowski, the Tigers wouldn’t have used big money to plug holes and compensate for shortcomings year after year. Does that mean Detroit wouldn’t have signed players like Ivan Rodriguez, Magglio Ordonez and Prince Fielder to huge contracts? No, I’m sure Dombrowski knew that such signings could accelerate the rebuilding process and put Detroit on the free agent radar. And later, that approach would allow the Tigers to continue being a perennial contender in the AL.
That’s not to say that Dombrowski ran things perfectly. Getting a nudge from Ilitch led the Tigers to trade for Miguel Cabrera, giving Detroit one of its all-time best players in team history. This was a mutually beneficial relationship.
But it seems apparent that Dombrowski could see the window closing and wanted to think about retooling the team for future prosperity and its next long run. As many will point out, however, Ilitch is 86 years old and doesn’t appear to be in the best of health. He wants to win a championship and doesn’t see time for any reboot, reload or whatever you want to call it. So with Dombrowski’s contract about to expire and a successor already in place, the two decided to shake hands and go in separate directions.
That’s where the shock may truly be, that Dombrowski’s tenure with the Tigers didn’t quite end on his terms. Whether or not he deserved better will be debated among Tigers fans for weeks, months and perhaps years to come. Detractors will point to the lack of a World Series championship despite $175 million payrolls, along with MVP and Cy Young Award winners. Supporters remember where the Tigers were before Dombrowski arrived, the hopelessness of a team that had no direction and years of being sold false goods by incompetent management.
Both Ilitch and Tigers fans could soon realize just how good this team had it with a masterful baseball executive in place. With time, Dombrowski’s legacy in Detroit should become clearer and more assured. That legacy includes Avila, even if he turns out to achieve the success his predecessor couldn’t quite reach.
